Intensive versus conventional insulin therapy: a randomized controlled trial in medical and surgical critically ill patients.
OBJECTIVE
The role of intensive insulin therapy in medical surgical intensive care patients remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of intensive insulin therapy on mortality in medical surgical intensive care unit patients.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Tertiary care intensive care unit.


METHODS
Medical surgical intensive care unit patients with admission blood glucose of > 6.1 mmol/L or 110 mg/dL.


METHODS
A total of 523 patients were randomly assigned to receive intensive insulin therapy (target blood glucose 4.4-6.1 mmol/L or 80-110 mg/dL) or conventional insulin therapy (target blood glucose 10-11.1 mmol/L or 180-200 mg/dL).


RESULTS
The primary end point was intensive care unit mortality. Secondary end points included hospital mortality, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, mechanical ventilation duration, the need for renal replacement therapy and packed red blood cells transfusion, and the rates of intensive care unit acquired infections as well as the rate of hypoglycemia (defined as blood glucose < or = 2.2 mmol/L or 40 mg/dL). There was no significant difference in intensive care unit mortality between the intensive insulin therapy and conventional insulin therapy groups (13.5% vs. 17.1%, p = 0.30). After adjustment for baseline characteristics, intensive insulin therapy was not associated with mortality difference (adjusted hazard ratio 1.09, 95% confidence interval 0.70-1.72). Hypoglycemia occurred more frequently with intensive insulin therapy (28.6% vs. 3.1% of patients; p < 0.0001 or 6.8/100 treatment days vs. 0.4/100 treatment days; p < 0.0001). There was no difference between the intensive insulin therapy and conventional insulin therapy in any of the other secondary end points.


CONCLUSIONS
Intensive insulin therapy was not associated with improved survival among medical surgical intensive care unit patients and was associated with increased occurrence of hypoglycemia. Based on these results, we do not advocate universal application of intensive insulin therapy in intensive care unit patients.


BACKGROUND
Current Controlled Trials registry (ISRCTN07413772) http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN07413772/07413772; 2005.
Arabi
Yaseen M
YM
Intensive Care Department, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. yaseenarabi@yahoo.com
Dabbagh
Ousama C
OC
Tamim
Hani M
HM
Al-Shimemeri
Abdullah A
AA
Memish
Ziad A
ZA
Haddad
Samir H
SH
Syed
Sofia J
SJ
Giridhar
Hema R
HR
Rishu
Asgar H
AH
Al-Daker
Mouhamad O
MO
Kahoul
Salim H
SH
Britts
Riette J
RJ
Sakkijha
Maram H
MH
D018806:APACHE; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin